Not the Queen
by Nebula-Princess
Summary: Evelyn Branigan has lived through a lot for the last 119 of her life, but never did she expect to be back in Mystic Falls. The place gave her bad memories of when she was a human. The worst part was that it only took a single phone call from Stefan Salvatore to make her pick up her life and move back to the small town in Virginia. Eventually Damon/OC/Stefan friendship/romance
1. Attending a Funeral

"Eibhlín NicBranagáin, She's just over there." I heard my Ma's tone through the quiet conversations between people. A sigh left my lips. She was doing it again. She was trying to arrange a marriage for me. If only it was easy to find some handsome young man to sweep me off my feet. And at a funeral, no less!

I wanted to scream at her…yell…anything. For years she had been like that, and now being 22, I was already past my prime. She would throw me to the wolves if she could. I scowled at the woman as I stood quietly by myself.

"Evelyn?" I heard a soft voice raise my attention. I turned to see Marianna Lockwood walking towards me and Samantha Gilbert stepping out of step with Marianna. I tried to get the thought of her butchering my name out of my head. Those were not my thoughts, but the thoughts of my Ma. It was all in the accent. She pronounced it right, it just sounded strange. "Evelyn?" I heard Marianna's voice break me of my thoughts again.

"Hello, Ms. Lockwood." I gave her a small smile as she stood in front of me.

"Please, call me Marianna." She gave a soft smile. "We are practically neighbors." She cooed.

"Yes, Ms. Lockwood...er...Marianna." I corrected myself.

"I saw you without the company of your mother or father. No one should be alone in these dark times, Evelyn." She said quietly. I only smiled at her.

"It's not like someone is going to try and kill me in cold blood." I muttered lowly. Her eyes widened.

"How did you know that Zachariah..." She trailed off quickly.

"We weren't supposed to know?" I questioned. She shook her head. "Why would we not. My Da is in the council. Zachariah was not the first and I do not believe he will be the last. Should we not have the right to know?" I cocked my head, letting my burnt orange bangs fall across my face. Her eyes narrowed.

"Yes, you should know, but you should not speak so bluntly about it." She hissed before letting out a sigh and shaking her head. "I must say that I'm glad your family moved here before all of the 'accidents' happened." She said in a hushed voice, changing the subject.

"Wouldn't that be the way?" I stated quietly. "A mysterious family moves to Mystic Falls. The town's council members start dying. What an awful novel that would make." I said quietly.

"It would sound more interesting if people weren't actually **dying** here." She hissed again in a low voice. "This is not a book, Evelyn; do not treat this situation as a novel, this is reality. This is real." She continued, folding her arms.

"I know that this is not a novel." I spat back at her. "I was trying to lighten the mood." I growled lowly

"You are not your mother. She is the only light in these dark times." She muttered. "The brighter you become, the larger your shadow becomes compared to hers." She growled back at me. I blinked at her harsh words before rolling my emerald colored eyes. My eyes darted anywhere to avoid Marianna's intense gaze. Samantha Gilbert's eyes caught mine. She turned her gaze quickly.

Something about her seemed off. She was involved in the council's 'accidents'…somehow, but I wasn't about to blurt out that she had done anything. I had no evidence. It was only a hunch…just a feeling. And who would people believe; an Irish outcast without a husband or a highly sophisticated woman whose family was part of the Founding Family?

"Evelyn." I blinked and looked back at Marianna.

"Hmm?" I trailed off as my mind tried to stay focused on one thing.

"What are you looking at?" She questioned.

"My Ma; she's trying to find a suitor for me." I said; glad to see that ma _was_ still talking to the younger man in the direction I had been looking.

"Now, a beautiful young women like yourself?" I twirled around quickly to see a man with dirty blonde hair and dark green eyes staring at me with a small smile. "I would have assumed you would have more than a dozen suitors lining up to try and take your hand." He continued. My cheeks warmed to his words.

"Oh, but you find the best suitors at a funeral, didn't you know?" I asked with a small smile. The man's sternum moved as he let out a silent laugh.

"Oh, Mr. Salvatore, I did not see you walking up to us." Marianna's softened voice rose up.

"Hello again, Ms. Lockwood." He nodded at her. "And hello Ms..." He trailed off expecting a name. I blinked.

"Eibhlín NicBranagáin." I said as my accent flew through my name.

"Irish? I never would have guessed. The accent was hidden until just now." He smiled with the sarcasm slicing his words. I laughed quietly.

"Yes, Mr. Salvatore is Zachariah's nephew." Marianna spoke again. I froze, feeling the blood rush from my face.

"Oh...I-I'm so-sorry. I didn't...If I had known...I apologize for making such a crude joke pertaining to my personal affairs, while you grieve..." I stuttered. He shook his head with a light smile as I tried to dissolve into nothing.

"No need for apologizes. To be honest, the mood needs to lighten, and what better way to do that than by a pretty woman like you telling funny jokes." I raised an eyebrow at him as I saw Marianna start to slink away in the corner of my eye.

"What better way to start my career as a joking Irish girl than to start by giggling at a funeral." I snapped at him playfully. He chuckled. My ears perked up suddenly as his green eyes slide over to the sound. A crow sat on a headstone, squawking. His attention was now fully on the crow. "Do I need to leave you and the crow alone?" I questioned him sarcastically, which only brought his eyes towards me. He shook his head with a small smile.

"No, Ms. Eibhlín." He smiled. "Crows are said to be a sign of death. Do you really wish for me to leave you alone with one perched so near?" He asked. I rolled my eyes at him.

"It's just a crow, Mr. Salvatore." I smiled. "Now, once they start bringing people along with them, then we shall be worried." I shook my head. He raised an eyebrow at me with a small chuckle. Behind that smile, his whole body was tense. Perhaps he had a fear of crows.

"Eibhlín?" I heard my Ma's voice calling. I turned to see her giving me a very disapproving look.

"Now, we shall be worried, Mr. Salvatore." I muttered to him, glancing back at my mother. His chest shook again with silent laughter. "I must go now, or else a crow is the least of my worries. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Salvatore." I smiled at him and curtsied in an almost sarcastic way.

"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. NicBranagáin." I smiled as I turned away from him. No one even bothered to try and say my last name, let alone say it right…The warm feeling wrapped around me as I walked over to my ma quickly.

"Hello, Ma." I greeted the aging woman. She scowled at my response before folding her arms.

"Do you know what your Da would think about this?" She hissed lowly. I raised my eyebrow at the woman.

"Think about what? There's nothing to think about!" I protested. "I was talking. What is the harm in that?" I questioned. She grumbled lowly, checking behind her shoulder suspiciously.

"Because I love you, I'm going to tell you this…Don't." She stated flatly. "Do not speak with that…man." She whispered. I cocked my head, out of habit. "He is dangerous." She whispered again.

"What?" I questioned, unbelieving of her words. "Dangerous? He seems very charming!" I muttered back to her quietly. She only glared before grabbing my long black coat sleeve.

"Listen to me, girl," She growled. "Stefan Salvatore is a dangerous man, and so is his brother. Stay away from them at all costs, and if you do not heed my warnings, you will regret it for the rest of your life." She finished and pushed me away. I stumbled before catching myself to see her sauntering away like nothing had happened. I breathed out, only then realizing that I had been holding my breath.

~*~

The quiet of the night was killing me. I heard the low sounds of my older brother's breathing from the room next to mine, and the sounds of crickets outside. There were no loud noises to lull me to sleep like usual. The Lockwood's weren't having any gatherings, and my da wasn't yelling drunken words. So I tossed around in my bed again, looking out my window. Grumbling, I sat up and walked over to the large window to look at the stars.

My window opened with ease as I stuck my upper body out the opening. Looking up, I breathed out a sigh. A large tree branch blocked my view of the stars. Another grumble left my lips before I ran my fingers through the mess of my ginger curls. I needed something. I needed noise. I needed lights. I needed people. My breathing caught as I saw my da stumble out of the house. I pulled my body back into my room and peaked over the windowsill. His large body swayed back and forth as he started heading towards the road.

_"What makes him so intimidating?" _I questioned myself. _"What gives him any right to be the way he is?" _Anger began to bubble into my veins. _"Why want a family if all you do is treat them like rubbish?"_ The thoughts slammed into my head. I closed the window quickly and walked over to my closet. _"He will not control my life." _I hissed to myself. Before I even realized what I was doing, I began to look through my dresses.

Suddenly, a pale violet color caught my eye. I ran my hand over the soft lace before I took out the petticoat. I glanced over the features; a boned bodice and a two-tiered crinoline skirt. I pulled it out quickly and laid it on my bed. I grabbed a light beige shoe with a matching pale violet bow with a design across the front. My nightgown came off as I pulled the dress on as quickly as I could before pulling on my shoes. I walked over to my vanity and pulled on a pearl necklace and bracelet.

_"What are you doing, Eibhlín?" _I questioned myself in the mirror. I saw the red curls fall against my shoulders and my bangs sweep across my face. _"You have no plan." _I said to myself as I begin to sneak out of my room. As I left, I looked down the hallway, seeing one single window open, letting in the night breeze. Taking one more glance down the hallway, I ran towards the stairs. Light footsteps began to patter behind me.

Without thinking, I sat on the edge of the railing and slide. I quickly ran to the door as I heard the footsteps upstairs getting closer to the squeaky stairs. I took a breath in as I slipped out of the front door. I glanced at the door behind me before I started to rush towards the shadowing of the trees. I was not going to get caught.

_"Just keep telling yourself that, Eibhlín." _I muttered to myself as I reached the cool shade before starting my walk towards the town.

~*~

As I walked out of the tree line, I looked at a large tent in the center of a clearing. The clearing was a spot near the town, but nothing usually took place here, due to it being so isolated. People chatted to each other outside the tent with a cigar sticking out of their mouth. I scoffed quietly as I walked past them. Why would anyone partake in such a harmful habit? Did they not know the side effects?

Ignoring the smell of the smoke, I walked through the loud tent's opening. I heard the ding of a bell before I heard the punching. I felt my breath catch before I heard cheering. I looked towards the cheering to see a ring with a woman and a man boxing. Red curly hair bounced around as I saw that the woman was actually winning! A smile spread across my face subconsciously. The bell dinged again. I saw the man lying on the floor of the boxing ring. My eyes widen.

_"That didn't take long at all!"_ I thought to myself as I looked at the woman bouncing about with a smile. She had very little clothes on, but I suppose that if you were boxing, you could not wear a dress. Her eyes meet mine and she smiled, winking at me. _"Why did she just wink at me?" _I thought to myself with a little laughter.

"Come then! You've all heard my bet!" She announced. "Do you wish to go home and say you didn't want to fight a girl?" She mocked the men in attendance. I smiled at her harsh words and so did some of the men. They must have been watching before as well. I saw one man standing up on the opposite edge of the ring. She smiled at him and waited for him to take off his shirt. My feet were planted as I watched the woman. What made her so strong anyways?

The bell dings once and the woman is punching the man. I blink, trying to believe my eyes. I look around at everyone as they talk to their friend beside them and cheer the woman on. Her punches are quick, and before too long, the man falls on his back. My body swayed back and forth as she drank in the cheering.


	2. Deafening

"Who's next? 100 dollars to any man who can beat me." The boxing woman beamed as she started to stare at a man across the room from me. I looked over and saw…Stefan? His eyes scanned the room. I wiggled my fingers at him, having a clear view of him. He looked over me before doubling back. He cocked his head with a small smile before nodding for me to come over to him.

I began to maneuver around people quickly. Being shorter than the average woman gave me an advantage when it came to crowds. I was only 5'1", while the average heights for women were 5'3" to 5'4". I could easily slip around them, or hide in them, if I ever needed to, that is. I quickly found my way around to Stefan. He smiled at me with those deep green eyes.

"Well, if it isn't Miss Eibhlín." He gave a small bow. I rolled my eyes at the gesture and laughed. "I honestly thought I wouldn't see you again." He gave a genuine smile.

"Well Mr. Salvatore, I am full of surprises." I smiled back at him. He looked behind me and raised an eyebrow.

"No one is with you?" He questioned. I shook my head.

"Not that I know of." I shrugged before motioning behind him. "But you seem to have someone with _you._" I laughed quietly. He turned quickly to reveal another man, almost the same height as he was.

"Oh, yes, this is-" Stefan tried to say before the other man interrupted.

"Oh, where are my manners tonight!" The man's voice was much deeper then I had thought it was going to be. "They must have been destroyed by all of the alcohol." He gave a very sarcastic smiled. I blinked at his blunt comment before staring at him curiously. He chuckled lowly. "Damon Salvatore." He introduced himself with a light smirk spreading across his face.

"Oh! You two are brothers than?" I questioned, remembering my mother's warning about how the two were 'dangerous'. Stefan nodded quietly. Maybe that was a whole new area that I shouldn't barge into. "Eibhlín NicBranagáin." I smiled back at Damon, ignoring his strange introduction and my rude question. He raised an eyebrow.

"That's quite a long name, Evie." He said. I blinked at the name. Evie? "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go drink some more." He stated flatly before turning on his heel.

"I'm sorry about him, Eibhlín." Stefan blinked down sadly. "He and I aren't on very solid ground right now." He muttered. I shook my head.

"It is not your fault, Mr. Salvatore. I should have just assumed that you were brothers and not asked. I should be the one that is sorry." I said quietly back to him. He shook his head.

"Don't blame yourself for being curious." He stated with a small smile. "Speaking of curiosity, why are you here alone?" He questioned, changing the subject. "I wouldn't have guessed your mother to be the type to let her daughter go out alone in the first place."

"She wouldn't, and neither would my father. That's why they both don't know that I'm even gone." I shrug. His eyes widen.

"You snuck out?" He questioned as his eyebrows furrowed together.

"And why not?" I questioned back. "I could not stand the silence. It was deafening." I groaned. He gave a very sarcastic looking smile.

"And this is not deafening?" He questioned again. I could not help but roll my eyes at him.

"This is the best kind, actually." I said back to him with an innocent smile. He smiled back and shook his head.

"Won't your family know that you're gone?" He asked. I only shrug.

"Why would they? I snuck out, Mr. Salvatore." I stuck my tongue out at him. "And, I'm not exactly their most valuable object." I laughed at the harsh truth. Both ma and da loved my brother more than they could ever love me. Stefan frowned at my words, but I swatted him off. "It is fine, Mr. Salvatore. I'm Irish; I can handle a little tough love." I smiled.

"Being Irish doesn't mean you're made of steel, Ms. Eibhlín." He gave me a half smile, concern written on his face.

"My family has survived through a lot, Mr. Salvatore, and the potato famine was one of them." I stuck my tongue out at him. "So, I believe that I can handle not being the child of affection." I laughed. His half smile grew before he raised his hands in defense.

"I suppose you're right." He smiled. "I apologize. Since your great-great grandparents survived through such harsh times, you survived them as well." He put his hands down. I scrunched my eyes up at him. He only laughed. Suddenly, I saw Damon appear again, with the red haired woman. They began to walk towards us, stopping to talk abruptly. I ignore them, quickly looking back at the green eyed man.

"Don't apologize to me, Mr. Salvatore." I nudge his arm. "You are far too nice to me in the first place." I stated. He cocked his head, reminding me of a small dog.

"_I wonder if I look like him to other people."_ I question in my head.

"And why is that? You seem like a very lovely young woman." He smiled as I felt my cheeks begin to burn. I rolled my eyes at him, trying to ignore the compliment and what it had done to my cheeks.

"I'm not exactly the most 'proper' woman." I stated. "I'm not very ladylike." I felt my eyes shift downwards.

"Being a lady does not mean acting like a queen. It means being your true self, and if your true self isn't the most 'ladylike', than that is perfectly fine." He tilted his head sideways and gave me the most innocent look. I felt like I was melting.

"And why is it that _you _don't have a wife yet, Mr. Salvatore? You are **far**too charming for the likes of me." I laughed off his words. He shrugged with the same innocent look.

"Maybe I'm just waiting for the right lady." He smiled mischievously. I rolled my eyes at the comment as I felt my whole face beginning to burn again.

"The right lady, brother?" I heard Damon's voice break through the world that had only been the two of us. "How…romantic." He growled the word out. And just like that, the world began to move again. I looked away at the two brothers only to catch the eyes of the red head across from me.

"I was hoping to get past this, brother." Stefan's voice hissed out. The woman smiled at my coyly. I only wiggled my fingers at her meekly.

"Hello, my red hair sister." She smiled, ignoring the bickering brothers.

"Hello." I said quietly. She was very intimidating. She cocked her head, but continued to smile. Damon let out an irritated sigh before grabbing my shoulders and spinning me to face him. I blink, shocked as his eyes narrow at me.

"What did your mother say about us?" He questioned. Stefan narrows his own eyes at his brother. He looked like he was about to say something before I felt myself cringe at Damon's words and answered.

"My mother thinks you're dangerous, Mr. Salvatore." Stefan's eyes soften at my words. Damon looked taken back by this. "She never told me why though." I muttered out at him, keeping my green eyes locked on his blue ones. His eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"Damon, that's enough." Stefan growled, grabbing hold of Damon's shoulder. Damon rolled his eyes and let go of my shoulders quickly.

"What's your mother's name?" Damon questioned again, ignoring Stefan's words. I blinked at him. Why did it feel obligated to tell him?

"Ailís NicBranagáin." I said instantly. I blinked at my own words.

"_Damon_." Stefan growled lowly.

"Well, I don't wish to get into this family problem, and I doubt Ms. NicBranagáin does either." The red haired woman stated. I nodded, happy to get out of the brother's hair. The two looked at us for a few seconds before Stefan started snapping at Damon. "Now, you're going to listen to everything I say, okay?" The woman said to me. I nodded…feeling drawn to her words. "Alright Damon, I'll be back soon." She said looking at the black haired brother.

"What about Eibhlín." Stefan questioned, his whole body seemed tense.

"To get out of your hair, we'll go get a drink. She asked me earlier about where she could actually get a drink anyway, and this is the first time I've had time to show her." She smiled. Stefan looked at me, concern spreading across his face.

"I didn't want to ask you, Stefan. I was enjoying talking to you." I felt my ears begin to burn at my own blunt statement. The concern washed away as Stefan's whole body seemed to relax.

"So get a drink. We'll stay here." Damon gave a smirk as he put an arm around Stefan's shoulders. I nodded as the woman began to take me away.

"What's your name?" I question.

"My name is Sage." She gave a sly smile as she began to take me outside of the tent. "And you aren't going to scream. You're going to smile like nothing is happening and agree with everything I say." She continued. I smiled at her, not knowing the reason for it.

"Why would I scream?" I questioned, keeping the smile on my face.

"Because I'm going to kill you. I'm going to drink you dry, sweetheart." She said in a sweet voice. I could only smile and nod. She smiled back as she began to take me into the dark woods.

"How are you going to drink me?" I questioned as we walked behind a few trees, out of sight of people.

"Well," She turned to me and her whole face changed. Her eyes turned red and her teeth were sharp fangs! Veins begin to grow across her face. I felt my whole body tense up. She never said I couldn't run. I felt my legs start to sprint away. It didn't take long before she caught up to me and threw me against a tree. "You aren't going to run either!" She hissed before she clamped her teeth into my neck. I felt myself gasp as I felt my vision begin to show black dots.

"Sage, you have another challenger!" A man's voice broke through the woods. Sage ripped away from my neck. She rolled her eyes at the man's voice.

"I can't even enjoy a quick snack." She hissed quietly, looking at me. "Stay here, don't move." She commanded. I felt my whole body stagger against the tree. She rolled her eyes and bit her wrist before shoving it to my mouth. "Drink." She commanded again. My heart began to race to life as I followed her orders. I stopped seeing the black dots. "Now," She said, ripping her wrist away from my mouth before she pulled out a small handkerchief, wiping her own mouth. "Stay here. Don't move. Don't scream." She ordered before sauntering back towards the lights and sounds. I felt a tear roll down my face.

_"You've really done it now, Eibhlín." _I hissed to myself as I started to cry silently. Now the sounds of people cheering and the ding of a bell became more deafening than the quiet of the night.

~*~

"Hello sweetheart, did you miss me?" Sage's voice broke through my chain of thoughts.

I looked up at the woman and tried to glare, but the same stupid smile that I had been smiling for hours was plastered on my face. Her teeth quickly latched onto my throat again. I flinched at the sudden contact before I felt a burning pain. I closed my eyes quickly, trying to ignore the light headedness that followed. Rustling tore the red head away from my neck. My eyes opened, only to see large black dots swirling across my vision. My body leaned against the tree. "Stefan! How great to see you!" Sage's voice called with the bubbly tone.

I blinked several times before I realized that I was on the ground. I heard voices talking, or arguing…maybe they were yelling, but couldn't figure out whom they belonged to. I felt shaking before my eyes opened.

"Stefan?" I gurgled out before coughing up blood as my vision blurred the green eyed man. His whole body was tense. My eyes closed again before I felt something against my mouth. The familiar taste of blood began to seep into my throat. "What are you?" I coughed out against his skin.

"That should be enough to heal you." My eyes opened up and I saw his face. Red eyes and veins began to pop out of his face. My eyes widened before Stefan backed up quickly. The large black dots were beginning to fade, but my vision was still a little fuzzy. My smile was gone as my whole body seemed to be free…from whatever trance it had been in.

"Stefan?" I questioned again as pain shot up against my vocal cords. His whole body froze at my words. I looked up at him as I lay on my back against the cool ground, unable to get enough strength to move. "Stefan." I croaked again, ignoring the agonizing pain that swept through me.

"I'm sorry." He muttered repeatedly as he began to back up farther away from me.


	3. Vampires 101

"What are you?" I snapped before coughing from the sharp pain. He rolled his eyes at me before he held out his hand.

"There's really no time for this." He stated. I looked at his hand quizzically. He rolled his eyes again before he grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. Light headedness made me blink. "Can you walk?" He questioned. I blinked away the light pain before I felt myself nod. "Great, now come on." He insisted, pulling me away. I felt my body wobble as my feet took each step, slowing me down. Damon turned around and stopped before giving me a questioning look.

"I was standing against that tree, not moving my legs for hours." I snapped at him. He let out an irritated sigh before grabbing at the lower parts of my dress. I swatted away his hands. "What are you doing?" I hissed at him.

"Well, if you would hold still for more than two seconds…" He growled before trying to grab the dress again. I back up from his reach. He looked up to me with a very annoyed face. "For the love of God, if you don't hold still, I will break your neck." He threatened making me raise an eyebrow at him. He rolled his eyes before I heard the rip of my dress. I blinked, realizing that he was tearing it.

"What are you doing?!" I snapped at him as he threw me up onto his shoulders. I felt my petticoat being thrown off. "Would you stop it?!" I snapped again, wiggling in his arms.

"Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart." He growled, setting me down again. "I never liked petticoats." He said, looking over at the violet petticoat, lying on its side, showing the hoops. "What's the point other than to make dresses more…puffy." He shook his head.

"Why would you do that?" I snapped at him, looking at the torn parts of the fabric and ignoring his comments. He rolled his eyes before picking me up again.

"So I could pretend that we're married." He said with sarcasm dripping against the tone as he started to walk. I rolled my eyes back at him. "You're such a lovely, young woman." He rolled his eyes at his own statement.

"Oh, you are _hilarious_, Mr. Salvatore." I hissed at him. He only smirked at the comment.

"I could easily drop you, Evie." He said triumphantly, calling me the nickname again. I huffed out a sigh. "Problems, my queen." He smirked again. I glared back at the man before I folded my arms.

"What are you?" I questioned again. His hands held me tightly. I felt my heart race again. Maybe this wasn't the best way to ask. Maybe I should have just…assumed.

"Well, what do you think?" He questioned. His mocking tone seemed to be gone. He seemed genuinely curious. I could only shrug.

"Vampire?" I questioned. He looked over at me with a smirk. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're correct." His eye turned red and veins started to bulge out. He smiled, showing off his fangs. I let out a small scream, almost jumping out of his arms. He held me tight and began to laugh. His eyes turned back to their original blue, the veins disappeared, and his teeth became straight. "You are fun to torture, Evie." He smirked. I felt myself begin to shake. "Oh come on, it isn't that cold." He mocked. I glared up at him.

"Sage…she bit me…doesn't that mean I'm going to become a…" I trailed off as my heart speed up at the idea. Damon only looked at me and laughed.

"No. You have to have vampire blood in your system and die to actually become a vampire." He looked back at me with amusement. "Do you know nothing about vampires?" He asked with a stupid smile on his face. I could only huff out an irritated sigh. "You have to know a little, seeing that you guessed 'vampire' in the first place." I groaned.

"I thought you were supposed to burn in the sunlight, for starters." I shrugged.

"Oh, we would. But if you have one of these things-" He said, tapping my side with one finger. I looked down to see a dark blue ring on his middle finger with a design in the middle. "Lapis Lazuli. Gem of the night. It's ironic." He stated. I looked back at him confused.

"How does it work?" I questioned. He raised an eyebrow at me. "I'm only curious." I defended myself quickly. This all seemed unnatural to me. And why shouldn't it? I just found out that vampires are real. I have the right to be curious.

"Well, Ms. Evie, a witch has to cast some spell on it-" I stopped him quickly.

"Witch?" I question. He let out a sharp sigh, making me cringe.

"Yes, witch. Cauldrons and magic and all of that fun nonsense." He chirped out sarcastically. I shook my head quickly, so he could go back to his original story. "A witch has to cast some spell on it and then we can walk in sunlight. Tada!" He rolled his eyes. I nodded.

"What about…mind reading?" I questioned again. He raised his eyebrow at me again.

"Yes, and mind control." He smirked. "Don't worry, Evie. I won't control you into doing my every whim." He retorted.

"Was that supposed to make me feel better? Because it didn't." I sassed him. He blinked before laughing at me.

"You better watch your mouth, sunshine." He shook his head. "I could easily kill you."

"But if you really wanted to kill me, you would have done it already." I replied instantly. He huffed out and irritated breath. "What else can you do?" I questioned, trying to get his mind of even attempting to kill me.

"Well, I'm carrying you about, so I must have super strength." I glared back at him as he laughed. Suddenly, I felt wind rushing against my face. I looked around. We weren't in the woods anymore. "Super speed is another thing." He smirked at my bewildered face. He started walking again. "We have heightened emotions." I felt his arms retract away from my body, making me flair my arms trying to catch myself. His arms wrapped around my body, making me stand up without hitting the ground. "So, imagine that feeling you had, but times that by a thousand." My legs didn't feel as wobbly.

"How could you deal with that?" I questioned, looking around at the surroundings, remembering where I was. I started making my way towards my house.

"Well, that's another thing. You can turn it off." He stated, walking besides me. I looked over to him.

"You can just turn off your emotions?" I questioned. He nodded. "Is that not scary?" I asked again. He only shrugged.

"Not if you turn them off." He looked in front of him. "And our senses are like that too. So if someone is scared and their heart is beating, we can hear it." He said. "You seem to be scared quite often." He smirked as I looked away from him. "Like that." He muttered.

"So, all senses are like that?" I questioned, hopping over a fallen tree branch. He nodded, already beside me. "What about-"

"Eibhlín!" I suddenly heard my father's low voice yell. I felt my heart drop. Damon looked over at me, pulling me behind a tree.

"Oh no." As I felt my heart race, in the back of my mind, I knew Damon could hear it. He put a finger over his lips. I closed my mouth and listened.

"Jesus, Ailís, when I find her, I swear-" Damon grabbed my arm suddenly.

"Damon, what are you-" I whispered at him. Before I could blink, we were just outside of my house. "If you keep doing that, I'm going to-" He cut me off.

"Let me in." He demanded. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"What?" I whispered again. His eyes narrowed as he looked at me.

"_Let me in._" He demanded again. I blinked.

"Come in." I said, confused. Suddenly, we were in my hallway on the second floor. I looked around, confused. "How did you-" I looked back at him before I heard my father's heavy footsteps begin to echo from the first floor. "Quick." I grabbed his hand, pulling him into my room and closing the door lightly. "Get into the closet."

"You do realize that I could just-" I pushed him into the closet without another word. Jumping into my bed, I quickly removing the dirt and blood covered dress before shoving it under my bed along with my shoes.

"I swear if she is in here, Ailís…" Father's voice boomed outside of my door. I closed my eyes before pulling the blanket up to my chin. I heard the door open. "Eibhlín!" His voice snapped me up. I looked at him confused. "Where have you been?" He growled before sulking over to my bed and grabbing my arm. I winced at the tight grip

"What do you mean, Father?" I asked, confused. I hoped I was believable. He glared at me before yanking me out of my bed and onto my feet. "Father!" I said, now becoming fearful of his actions.

"Do not lie to me, Eibhlín. I know you weren't in your bed last night." His large green eyes bore into mine. I yanked my arm away from him.

"How would you know? You were drunk by 6." I snapped suddenly. His eyes narrowed at me as he grabbed my neck and slammed me against my wall. I cough out.

"And you were here, were you?" He snapped turning my head quickly. "So what are these? Teeth marks?" He snapped. It took all of my strength to lift my knee up and fast enough to make him let go. He let out a low grunt as I crawled my way out of my room quickly.

"Ádhamh, stop, please." Mother's voice caught my ears.

"Quiet, woman!" I heard a sickening sound behind me. I stood up quickly as I ran towards the stairs. I had forgotten about Damon. Maybe he would help me! My hands grabbed the railing before I felt a large hand clasp onto my wrist and pull me around. "Now, you aren't going to run from your dear old Da, now are you?" He asked quietly, pulling me closer to his body.

"Stop! Please, stop!" I snapped again. His eyes narrowed. His arms wound back. I closed my eyes, dreading the hit, but I never felt the punch. His palms push against my shoulders as hard as they could. All I _could_ feel was the air pushing my hair against my face as I fell backwards.


	4. Two Way Street

**Present Day**

My eyes opened slowly, hearing the loud ringing of my phone. I groaned as I rolled around on the hotel bed. I reached my hand out lazily towards my phone on the bedside table. Plopping my head back onto the pillow, I answered.

"Hello?" I yawned, flipping my pillow over to the cold side before I looked over at the clock. _"Fucking Christ, who the fuck is calling me at 5:27 in the morning?" _I hissed to myself, already becoming annoyed.

"Hey Eve." I heard the light and gravely tone against my ear. I sat up quickly. Any type of annoying thought vanished suddenly. Was this really who I thought it was?

"Stefan?" I questioned lightly. I hadn't spoken with Stefan since…1963. Almost 47 years without one single call from him…I wonder what he wanted…

"Yeah, hey…Eve…it's me." He sounded tense. I smiled at his voice…I hadn't tried to call him either…As lame as it sounded, friendship was a two way street that the two of us hadn't been down for a long time.

"You don't say." I muttered. He chuckled lightly. He still laughed at my sassy remarks. At least that hadn't changed. "What do you need, Stef?" I questioned, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

"You sound tired, I should call back…"He trailed off. I scoffed.

"Don't you dare hang up on me, Stefan Salvatore. You woke me up for some reason, now, what do you need?" I questioned, not meaning to snap. I heard him sigh. I just wanted to know what was happening. I had always had a special bond with Stefan. Something about him made me want to listen to every painstakingly word he had to say.

"It's Damon." He stated. I felt my heart drop. What happened? Scenarios went through my mind. Was he okay? Was he dying? Was he dead? "He needs your help." My heart began to race. What did he need? Why did he need me? Why couldn't Stefan help him? "It's about Katherine." He said. I let out a light huff.

"Is he having a midlife crisis again?" I asked, becoming more annoyed at Damon than scared for him. Stefan laughed, making my worries melt away.

"You could say that." He chuckled into the phone. I fell back against my pillow dramatically.

"Why can't he just get over it? She's in the tomb. He can't get in the tomb." I complained. "It's not rocket science, Stef." I sighed, becoming more annoyed. "He needs to get over her…" I hissed lowly.

"Well...You know…where are you? Can you come to Mystic Falls?" He asked. I felt like I had been punched in the gut from the sudden nervousness in his tone.

"Stef, you know I don't-" I tried to protest before he cut me off sharply.

"I know, I know, and I'm sorry. But it's a long story…We have enough rooms in the boarding house. So…can you get here as fast as you can?" He questioned lightly. I heard a smashing sound in the background as Stefan spoke. "Listen, I have to go. Just come to Mystic Falls, okay? I have to go. I'll make it up to you, I swear. See you, Eve." He said and hung up without another word from me.

"Mystic Falls…" I repeated as I pulled the phone away from my ear. I never wanted to go back to that place. But…I had to go. Stefan needed me there for Damon. If only those two could get along for more than a minute.

I grumbled to myself as I flung the sheets off of me and got out of bed. I looked out the window down at the flashing lights of the awakening city. Los Angeles was out of my comfort zone, but I needed the sound. It had been a rough couple of months.

I stepped over two men who were on the floor, fast asleep. Dark bite marks lined their arms and necks. I rolled my eyes at the two before nudging one with my foot. He looked up with dark brown eyes.

"Oh, is it that time already?" He questioned, standing up quickly and nudging his friend roughly. "Mar, come on!" His Italian accent sticking to his every word he said. I waved him off before pulling him close.

"Listen, Kas, you are going to forget about this. You are going to say you were with Mar and things got…" I tried to think of the word… "Kinky." I smiled, pointing to the bite marks on his arm. As Mar stood up, I told him the same thing. "You will forget about me." I compelled them before pointing at the door.

I had been drinking at a male strip club last night when a bachelorette party group came strolling in. I had to have a little fun with them. So I drank with them and made the bride do body shots off of this one stripper, named Mar. His friend, Kas soon came up and started dancing with Mar.

I was bored, so I made the two come back to my hotel room. I said goodbye to the bachelorette girls before going back to the hotel. I drank both vodka and blood that night before making the two sleep somewhere that wasn't my bed. They both seemed confused when I didn't sleep with them.

_"Dinner __**and **__a movie, boys, I'm not some ditchable prom date." _I remembered and let out a small chuckle.

As I started packing the little belongs that I owned into a duffle bag, Mar and Kas pulled on their clothes and left without another word. I shook my head at the two before shoving the rest of my clothes in my suitcase. It was going to be a long day.

Mystic falls…Just the name alone made me cringe. The name sounded eerie. And when you knew the things that happened there over the years, why in the world would anyone stay? I let out a small groan as I turned off the lights and left the room.

I _was_ going to have to go back to that godforsaken place….I was just hoping that it would be later. Much later…maybe even never. But most things don't go as planned, and with my life the way it was now, I needed a break. As much as it pained me to say, Mystic Falls was going to have to be my true escape from the world. Who knows, maybe it won't bring back as many bad memories as I think it might. One can only hope.

**Mystic Falls**

As I drove up to the old boarding house, I looked to the backseat at the four college girls. They all talked to each other as if this were a normal day. Stefan wasn't going to be very happy about my ways of cheering his older brother up…

I picked up the bottle of bourbon from the front seat and got out of my 'rented' car. I nodded for the girls to follow me. They jumped out of the back seat still talking about god knows what. Something about this boy named Peter and how they all wanted to have sex with him by the end of the year. I shook my head silently, judging the girls.

_"When I went to college, it was more about learning than who could fuck one guy by the end of it…"_ I thought to myself before locking the car.

I was told it was a 2010 Lexus convertible. I asked the guy who owned it how much money he made. To put it lightly, he owned three jets and could easily afford three more. He had gone to the airport to fly somewhere for a vacation, and I needed a car to get to Mystic Falls. So, it was really a win/win situation. He got to keep his jet; I got to take his car.

I took a deep breath in as I knocked on the door. I heard someone stumble around inside before the door swung up. Damon stood there without a shirt on with an empty glass in his hand. He blinked up at me before dropped his glass. I grabbed it quickly, before it hit the ground. Drunken Damon and hurt Damon are not something I wanted to mix together right now.

"Eveyln?" He questioned, looking me up and down like he didn't believe his eyes. I smiled at him. We had gone to New York together back in 1997 to catch up and talk about our lives. It wasn't 47 years, but I suppose 13 years wasn't just last weekend either.

"Hey, Day." I smiled at him. Suddenly, I felt his arms wrap around me and pick me up. I laughed and hugged him, holding onto his empty glass and the bourbon tightly. He spun around once before putting me down and shook his head.

"Jesus, Evie, you can't just spontaneously show up on a guy's doorstep." He smiled, leaning on the doorframe. I laughed at him while he blinked away his drunken dizziness from spinning me about. "Who-" He took a breath in before he hiccupped. "Who are these lovely ladies?" He questioned, wiggling his fingers at the girls. They all giggled at him.

"Long story." I laughed again, only then turning back to look at the college girls. "I brought you something!" I smiled at him. He looked back at the girls and smiled back at me mischievously. "And Bourbon." I smiled holding up the bottle.

"And this, my dear Evie, is why I treat you like a queen." He smiled gesturing for me to come in. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I was told to come in back in 1914, Day. I don't need your approval again." I sassed him. He put his hand to his chest and the back of his other hand to his eyes.

"My queen, you always deserve a welcome." He said dramatically. "You ladies can come in too." He smirked towards them. They all giggled again before entering the house. "Where did you find these chicks?" He asked me quietly as they all giggled to one another.

"University. D, you have to get out more." I pinched his cheeks. He glared at me with a small smirk. I could only bat my eyes at him innocently. "Now come on," I continued, pulling his arm and nodding for the girls to follow me to their living room. "I heard Stefan say something about Katherine and I knew you wanted to drink." I commented. "So, drink, Day." He smirked and took the bourbon from my hand, already shimmying past me towards the couches.

"Your wish is my command." He smirked cheekily back at me. I rolled my eyes and snickered at him as I nodded for the girls to follow. I turned on the stereo before wandering back to the car and grabbing my two bags from the trunk.

I could hear the music from outside of the house. I could only smile as I walked back into the house.  
I soon found the room I had stayed in for a short while…back when I was transitioning from human to vampire. I placed my two bags on the bed as I looked around. It looked like no one had touched it in years…

_**Flashback **_

_**Mystic Falls; 1912**_

I jolted awake and took a deep breath in. I quickly scanned my surroundings as I lay on the ground

"Easy, Evelyn." I heard a low voice say calmly. I snapped my head towards the noise and saw Damon sitting on a tree stump. I sat up quickly, grabbing my head suddenly from the pain. "I warned you." He muttered. I blinked up at him.

"What happened? I questioned as I held my head, looking back at him. His face fell before he cocked his head.

"You don't…remember?" He questioned before walking over to me. I only shook my head slightly, writhing from the pain that shot through my skull. "Do you know who I am?" He questioned. I looked up at him.

"Of course, Mr. Salvatore." His hand fell down to my waist as the other pulled me up gently. The sudden rush of dizziness made me stumble slightly. "I am in my nightgown, Mr. Salvatore!" I stated suddenly feeling exposed. He let out a low snort.

"What a scandal, Evie." He said dramatically averting his eyes. I only folded my arms, huffing out a small breath. I felt my nightgown hook on something underneath it. I was wearing my purple dress! "A vampire bit and you didn't act as if that was a scandal." He muttered. I scoffed.

"Vandalized is a better word for that, Mr. Salvatore." I snapped. He looked back at me and laughed before his expression faded. "But I'm sure many girls would _love _to be vandalized by you." I sassed him. He rolled his eyes and snickered quietly. I did not liking this sarcastic man to look down as he did.

"What don't you remember?" He asked suddenly holding out his arm as if we were good friends. I looked down at the ground as I tried to remember, latching my arm with his. My head throbbed…

"We…were in my house." I looked back up at him. His eyes scanned my face anxiously for more answers. "And…my da…he was mad…" I said slowly, concentrating on the blurry memory that played in my mind. I blinked before shaking my head. "I can't…I can't remember anything else." I stated feeling fear wash over me. "What happened?" I asked trying to keep my fear at bay. Damon looked away. "Damon." I said making his eyes meet mine again. "What happened?" I asked feeling the painful throbbing in my head again.

"Can you walk?" He questioned. I nodded silently. "Good because I did not wish to carry you again." He muttered, glancing back at me and unhooking our arms. I rolled my eyes as he smirked. As we started walking and only then had I felt the cold ground under my feet.

"Where are my shoes, Mr. Salvatore?" I questioned, looking down at my bare feet under my nightgown. He looked back at me and raised an eyebrow.

"Not on your feet." He stated. I glared up at him as he threw me a smirk. "Do you wish for me to carry you again, Evie?" He asked as he jumped over a fallen tree.

"I am quite capable." I only rolled my eyes at him. He raised his shoulders slightly, looking very defensive before he stared walking again. I hopped over the fallen tree and followed behind him as quickly as I could.

As we came to a small clearing, his eyes glanced back towards me. I looked over at him and furrowed my brows. He let out a small huff of air and nodded for me to follow him again. I shook my head at his strange antics as I continued to follow him.

"Mr. Salvatore," I said after walking for a small ways. "May I ask where it is that you are taking me?" I questioned. He looked back at me.

"Home." He stated lightly before he continued walking. I tried to quickly catch up to him.

"Home?" I questioned. He looked over at me as we suddenly exited the tree line onto a small gravel road. I felt myself being picked up suddenly as I let out a quick gasp. I looked at Damon.

"Don't take this as anything. I just don't wish to have gravel in the house." He stated. I let out a light scoff and folded my arms. "Oh, don't pout on me now, Evelyn." He said as we walked through a sunlit area. I blinked rapidly.

"Sun's a bit bright today." I stated suddenly, feeling my eyes water. Damon's breath seemed to catch. I looked at him cocking my head as I continued to blink away the feeling. "What?" I questioned as we left the sunlight.

"There's something I have to tell you." He stated quietly as he put me down on a small porch. I looked up at the small house quizzically. "Just…stay here." He huffed out as he opened the door. I watched as he looked around the small house.

"This isn't your house, is it?" I stated. He rolled his eyes as he walked around a corner. "Damon, why am I just standing here?" I asked him impatiently, trying to see around the sharp corner. I stepped closer to the door as it swung lightly with the breeze. I let out an irritated sigh as I stepped closer to get into the house. I stopped suddenly as I stood in the doorway. "Damon." I said as I tried to push my hand against an invisible force. "Damon!" I snapped louder. He walked around the corner again.

"What?" He snapped. I gestured my hands towards the door.

"Do not 'what' me." I hissed. "What is this?" I snapped as my hands went up against the invisible barricade. "Is this some type of vampire joke? Because I do not understand the humor in it." I growled lowly as I tried to get into the house again.

"Well, you could say it's a joke." He stated, leaning against the doorway, towering over me. "But I wouldn't speak of what you are in a third person." He stated. I looked at him as I ran his words through my head.

"What do you mean?" I questioned…and then it hit me. My whole body froze. "Wait…you cannot be serious." I squeaked out. His eyes fell. I felt my whole body drop. "You can't be fucking serious." I stated suddenly realizing what had left my mouth. I covered my mouth quickly.

"That is one way to get the point across, Evie." Damon bit his lip as he tried not to laugh. I felt my whole face light up before I felt a small prick of anger flow through me.

"This isn't funny Damon." I snapped. "What…What do I do?" I asked feeling the anger wash away. Suddenly, I felt like a pile of bricks had been dropped onto my head.

"Well, to put it lightly, you have two options. Live forever, or die in the next 24 hours." He stated lightly. I looked up at him. His eyes softened as I backed up off of the porch suddenly. "I know…I know what it feels like." He stated gently as he walked out of the house. "I don't know what _you're_ going through, no…but I know the feeling of pure hopelessness…that nothing is going to be okay." He stated softly. I shook my head as I felt the irritation of the sun hit my shoulders.

"How did this happen?" I whispered as I pulled myself back into the shade. My arms wrapped around my waste. Damon put his hand on my shoulder. I felt a sudden jolt of fear. It all came flooding back to me.

_"Just stay away from me."_ I felt the cool floor under my hands as the burly man start to get up. Fear was washing over me in new bursts like an ocean during a storm. My heart raced.  
_  
_"Evie?"A voice echoed as the scene continued to play out.

_"Ádhamh, stop, please" _Ma's voice chimed as I heard her light footsteps close the smaller gap between my da and I. I felt the cold floor against my feet as I stood up and headed for the stairs.

"Evelyn."__

"Quiet, woman!" The sound of her head hitting the floor made me cringe as I got to the stairs and held onto the smooth wooden handrails. _"Now, you aren't going to run from your dear old Da, now are you?" _I saw him standing there. His eyes were burning with rage. His hands grabbed my shoulders. I felt the rough push and the light gust of wind that caught my hair and flew it against my face. I heard the sudden sound of my head cracking at the bottom of the stairs.

"**Eibhlín!**" I blinked rapidly as I abruptly felt warm hands holding my face. I felt my back up against something hard. I looked up at Damon, quickly realizing that I was shaking. I looked down and shook my head lightly, expecting his hands to leave. To my surprise, his hands became light, but stayed where they had been. "Listen, I said 24 hours, not _one_ hour." Damon said lightly.

"I-um…I am sorry." I swallowed a deep breath shakily. "I do not-" He shook his head suddenly.

"You should be sorry." He said as his hands left my cooling face. "I wasn't going to be the one who told Stefan that he turned you and I accidentally killed you." He stated with a small smirk. I let out a small huff of a laugh.

"I…I remember what happened." I said softly. His smirk quickly died. "And where were you?" I questioned him, nudging him lightly. I glanced back to see what I was leaning on. The little house held me up.

"If I would have known that you keep vervain in your closet, I would have gladly helped." He hissed playfully. I cocked my head. "It's an herb. Garlic is just a myth against us vampires." I snapped back into my current situation.

"I do not wish to die, Mr. Salvatore." I stated. He looked up at me as if I had told him something unbelievable. "There are only two options. And I do not wish to die." I said, folding my arms. He blinked and shook his head.

"Well…if that's the case, how do you feel about revenge?" He asked playfully. I cocked my head. He only smirked. "Come along, Evie." He said as he grabbed my hand and began pulling me with him. "We're going to go home." He said mischievously.

"Is this not your home?" I asked, looking back at the house as we began to walk into the woods again. He shook his head.

"Not my home, Evie." He said as he pulled me over a small tree branch. "Yours." He stated.

**-  
AN: Hello! I have updated. Long story short, I've been having a shit couple of weeks. But here is an update. With present and flashbacks! Yeha to vampirism. See you guys soon. My life is back on track and I'll update again soon!**


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